Railboad-car coupling



J. c. WARD.

Car Coupling.

Patent ed Oct. 14, 1856;

AM. PHDTO-LITHO- G0. N.Y. (BSBDRNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. O. WARD, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

RAILROAD-CAR COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,909, dated October 14, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WARD, of the district of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvements on Gar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is end View, and Fig. 2 side view, Fig. 3 is edge and side view of coupling.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of the coupling, of a tumbler having a weighted arm connected therewith, for revolving said tumbler 90, on the disconnection of a slide and stud which hold the said tumbler in the proper position to receive the coupling bar; this revolution of the tumbler causing the diminution of an opening through the same which prevents the exit of the bar head; said detaching of slide and stud being effected by the entrance of the bar head.

In the drawing T is the tumbler, having a rectangular opening C through it, which has the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, when the arm A has the position shown by full lines. I This arm has a tendency to fall into the position shown by dotted lines,

rotating the tumbler and causing the rec-' tangular opening C to assume the position shown in dotted lines.

The arm A is held in position to open the tumbler for the reception of the coupling bar, by the contact of stud H, on the inner face of arm A with a vertically movable slide B in the inner plate Gr. This slide projects downward into opening C; so as to be lifted by the bar head, as it passes through said opening.

In the face of slide B is a groove a a, which permits the passage of the stud H as the slide is lifted; the arm A being then free falls into the position shown in dotted lines, turning the tumbler, and causing the head of the bar to be retained behind the same.

The arm is lifted by a line attached at F; the slide B falling in front of stud H, after said stud has passed through the groove a a, secures the tumbler for the reception of the bar D, as shown in Fig. 1.

I make no claim to a tumbler whose partial rotation effects the coupling, when such rotation is produced by hand; neither do I claim the fastening produced by the rotation of either socket or link, and known as the bayonet joint fastening; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The weighted 'arm A, stud H and slide catch B, in combination with the partially rotating tumbler, when said tumbler constitutes the securing socket, constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described, for constituting a self acting car coupling. I

JOHN G. WARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. R. ADAMS, WM. M. MOGAULEY. 

